The 2026 season couldn't have gotten off to a much better start for Manny Diaz and Duke. The Blue Devils aren't just 2-0, but the two wins have come against teams they lost to a season ago. After an offseason spent listening to pundits who were sure they were going to fall off dramatically following Darian Mensah's transfer, the start to the season has felt cathartic.
Duke took down Tulane 17-3 at home in Week 1, and then earned an impressive 31-27 road win over Illinois in Week 2. San Jose State transfer QB Walker Eget got it rolling last week after an uneven debut performance, and this might be the game that things really start to click for him and the Duke receivers.
In two previous meetings against Stanford in his career, Eget has lit the Cardinal up. He'll look to do it again today in Durham.
Stanford also provided star Duke RB Nate Sheppard with some added motivation this week, which seems to be a weekly occurrence right now. You'd think these teams would learn eventually. But hopefully not too soon.
Betting odds for Duke vs. Stanford in Blue Devils' ACC opener
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6am ET on Saturday.
Spread: Duke -10.5
Over/Under: 51.5
Moneyline: Duke -375/Stanford +290
Final Prediction
Stanford is better this year than they've been the last few seasons, but the Cardinal still have a ways to go. Duke should be able to take advantage of a secondary that struggled mightily through two games. Eget has Stanford's number, and that shouldn't change now, especially with more talent at his disposal than he had in the previous meetings at San Jose State.
Stanford's defense will be committed to trying to stop the run, but that may not matter. Sheppard is the focal point of every defensive game plan. He's used to it. It just usually doesn't matter a bit. He's one of the best running backs in the country, and even if Stanford is able to keep him bottled up early, it'll only be a matter of time before he breaks loose.
Stanford is capable of hitting some plays in the passing game, but as we saw last week against Illinois, Diaz and company will make the necessary adjustments throughout the game to quell the success of the opposing offense.
Stanford will keep things interesting for a while, but eventually Duke will pull away for a two-score win.
Pick: Duke 31, Stanford 17
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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